226 BULLETIN 17 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



nearby "part of the remains of the parent bird, killed by ravens that 

 occupied an adjoining tree." 



Field marks. — A little larger than the more familiarly known saw- 

 whet owl, which it resembles in a general way, it can be distinguished 

 from it at once by its yellow, instead of black, bill and by the dark or 

 black outer edge to the facial disk. There are white spots, instead of 

 streaks, on the top of its head and large round white spots on its back. 



Winter. — Although these owls winter in the north to a certain 

 extent, sometimes making use of deserted igloos for shelter, as has 

 been mentioned already, the lack of food, owing to deep snows covering 

 the runways of mice, generally drives them south. In the winter of 

 1922-23 there was a great influx of these birds into Maine, and, owing 

 to deep snows, starvation was frequently their lot. 



Forbush (1927) quotes T. A. James, curator of the State Museum at 

 Augusta, as follows: "I am receiving a great many Richardson's owls, 

 which appear to be starved. Most of them are picked up dead about 

 farm buildings, and are in a very emaciated condition." Twenty-six 

 were reported by a taxidermist of East Jaffrey, N. H., and 30 from one 

 in Bangor, Maine. "The starving birds", continues Forbush, "left 

 the woods in search of food and entered not only farm buildings but 

 buildings in villages and cities, and many were captured in such situ- 

 ations. The bewildered, weakened birds wandered on until some of 

 them reached the shores of Cape Cod and the valleys of Connecticut." 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Northern North America. Not regularly migratory. 



Breeding range. — The breeding range of Richardson's owl extends 

 north to Alaska (Russian Mission and Nulato); Yukon (Rink Rapids); 

 Mackenzie (Fort Simpson and probably Lake Hardisty); northern 

 Saskatchewan (probably Fort Fond du Lac) ; and rarely eastern Quebec 

 (Magdalen Islands). East to rarely Quebec (Magdalen Islands); and 

 rarely New Brunswick (Grand Manan). South to rarely New Bruns- 

 wick (Grand Manan); probably rarely Vermont (near summit of 

 General Stark Mountain) ; southern Manitoba (Winnipeg and Shelley) ; 

 central Alberta (Athabaska Landing) ; and northern British Columbia 

 (Laurier Pass, Thudade Lake, and Flood Glacier). West to British 

 Columbia (Flood Glacier); and Alaska (probably Mount McKinley, 

 probably Tocotna Forks, and Russian Mission). 



Winter range. — Probably many individuals of this species normally 

 remain north in winter nearly or quite to the northern limits of the 

 breeding range. Nevertheless, at this season in some regions south 

 of the breeding range, records are too numerous for mere casual occur- 

 rence. From these it appears that in winter the range may extend 

 south to southern British Columbia (Sumas, Hope, Chilliwack, and 



